The Basics of Poker
Poker is a gambling game in which players place chips into the pot in order to bet on a winning hand. The highest hand wins the pot. The game began in the sixteenth century with a German bluffing card game called Pochen. The game spread to Europe and eventually to America where it became a popular casino game.
The rules of the game vary according to the specific card game, but in most cases, a player must first “ante” (i.e. put in a minimum amount of money, the amount varies by game) before being dealt cards. After the cards are dealt, betting goes in a clockwise direction. When it is a player’s turn to bet, he may raise the stake of his bet or call it (matching exactly the previous bet). He may also choose to fold, in which case he is out of the hand.
Once the bets are placed, players reveal their cards and the highest one wins the pot. The highest hands are a pair, a flush, or a straight. A high card breaks ties when two hands have the same pair.
The game is typically played with poker chips, which are different in color and value. In general, a white chip is worth the minimum ante, a red chip is worth ten whites, and blue chips are worth twenty-five whites. A player may also use his own chips in the game, as long as they are of equal value to those used by other players. A player may also introduce his own house rules, though they must be agreed upon by all players.
